The Importance of Calling a HALT When We're Upset
Using the HALT method can help us preserve our relationships.
By Dr T J Jordan
Trust is built by the drop but lost by the bucket. And buckets of trust get dumped when we react to each other impulsively during states of disturbed emotion.
We feel compelled to resolve our differences and to eliminate friction between ourselves and our partners when we're disturbed. But heightened states of emotion are the worst times to seek resolution.
We don't change our minds or become cooperative when we are in fight or flight modes. In fact, those are the times when we are most likely to stumble into persuasion fatigue.
We need techniques to help us tune into what's happening in our bodies. We need to learn how to practice restraint when we feel carried away by the emotional urges that arise from our temporary physical states.
We need better habits to help ourselves through the chaos of disagreements without adding new wounds to those we already carry into our relationships.
